ACat,aHatanda
Piece of String
Joanne Harris
Deriving its title from the
three items author
Joanne Harris would
take if stranded on a
desert island, A Cat,
a Hat and a Piece
of String is her second
collection of short stories, and it showcases
the breadth of her imagination.
Since achieving international success
with Chocolat, Harris has consolidated her
reputation as a writer of stories featuring a
host of interesting characters in unusual
situations. Averse to categorisation, she has
published fantasy novels as well as those
grounded in realism, and she includes
works from both genres here.
The most engaging stories are
those that explore the complexities of
human relationships. ‘Would You Like
to Reconnect?’, in which a mother harnesses
the power of Twitter to try to stay in touch
with her dead son, is a particular standout,
as are ‘Ghosts in the Machine’ – a tale
of unlikely romance inspired by The
Phantom of the Opera – and the stories
featuring Faith and Hope, two elderly ladies
making the best of life in a retirement home.
By contrast, tales depicting contemporary
incarnations of Norse gods left me cold.
There is much to enjoy about this
book, but the inclusion of pieces written
for two entirely different readerships is
unlikely to fully satisfy either.
Doubleday
Reviewed by Heather Lunney
The Rainbow
Troops
Andrea Hirata
This book is an
Indonesian
phenomenon.
Published in 2005,
it became a runaway
hit, selling more than
five million copies.
Hirata is
considered Indonesia’s all-time bestselling
author, and his debut is now making its way
around the world. Based on his childhood
experiences of growing up on the island of
Belitong in the 1970s, this bittersweet
coming-of-age tale unfolds from the adult
perspective of Ikal, who was once a student
at the island’s most impoverished and
undervalued school, Muhammadiyah
Elementary.
Ikal and his fellow classmates – the
rainbow troops – pursue their education
under the guidance of their two dedicated
teachers, hoping to break out of the poverty
cycle that has spanned generations.
Hirata is deeply critical of postcolonial
oppression, but his tone is defiantly upbeat.
This is a feel-good book in which the power
of positive resistance is practised with a
smile as our underdog heroes turn the tables
on authority to keep their school – and their
dreams – alive.
Hirata’s book gives readers a
celebration of life, friendship and freedom –
an enriching perspective that may also
illuminate things we take for granted here.
Vintage
Reviewed by Meredith Lewin
29
GENERAL FICTION
32
GOOD READING February 2013